Multilevel Analysis: The Impact of Conceptual Social Capital on Stunting in Children Under Five in Tulungagung Regency, East Java, Indonesia

Ayun Widya Rizki (Master’s Program in Public Health, Universitas Sebelas Maret)
Didik Gunawan Tamtomo (Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret)
Bhisma Murti (Master’s Program in Public Health, Universitas Sebelas Maret)

Journal of Maternal and Child Health
Vol. 11 No. 4 (2026)

Background: Stunted children have inadequate nutritional intake, which may affect neural cell maturation and make them vulnerable to developmental delays, such as delayed motor develop­ment, lower cognitive ability, and slower social responses. Social capital can serve as a stimulatory resource within a community. The concept of social capital was initially understood as a form of trust that people place in their community and in individuals as members of that commu­nity. This study aimed to estimate the association of social capital with stunting among children under five years of age while accounting for contextual effects at the integrated community health post (posyandu) level. Subjects and Method: This was an analytical cross-sectional study. The target population comprised children aged 6–59 months with stunting. The sample consisted of 100 stunted children aged 6–59 months and their mothers, and 100 non-stunted children aged 6–59 months and their mothers, randomly selected from the working areas of Sumbergempol, Tunggangri, and Rejotangan Primary Health Centers in Tulungagung Regency, East Java, Indonesia. The dependent variable was stunting. The independent variables were education, income, and social capital. The data were analyzed using multiple multilevel logistic regression, with posyandu as the second-level unit. Results: Multilevel multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of stunting among children under five was lower among those whose mothers had higher education (≥senior high school) (b= −1.17; 95% CI = −2.09 to −0.24; p= 0.013), whose parents had higher income (≥ IDR 1,500,000/month) (b= −0.94; 95% CI= −1.59 to −0.28; p= 0.013), and who lived in communities with high social capital (b= −0.69; 95% CI= −1.34 to −0.03; p= 0.039). The analysis indicated a substantial contextual effect of factors at the posyandu level within villages on stunting among children under five (ICC = 8.90%). Conclusion: The risk of stunting among children under five was lower among children whose mothers had higher education (≥ senior high school), whose parents had higher income (≥ IDR 1,500,000/month), and who lived in communities with high social capital.